According to the state’s website MI School Data, the two cyber charter schools currently operating in Michigan (Michigan Virtual Charter Academy and Michigan Connections Academy) fall far below the state average on almost all reported student outcomes. Only 9 percent of third-graders at Michigan Virtual Charter Academy were proficient on the Michigan Merit Exam last year.

What’s shocking is that these Wall Street-traded corporations are making millions delivering poor quality education to our kids.

Ronald J Packard, the CEO of K12 Inc., the company that runs one of the cyber schools in Michigan, was paid $5 million in compensation last year. That’s your tax dollars going into the pockets of an out-of-state millionaire, and not into the classrooms in your community schools.

These corporations are big business. Connections Academy recently sold for $400 million dollars to a British firm. But the future of Michigan’s kids is not something to be traded and sold to benefit international shareholders.

Please take action today and call your representative and urge them to oppose this dangerous and risky choice for Michigan. JOAN LAMB/Douglas

One of the supporters we interviewed stated, “We should weed out victimless crimes.” The proposal, he explained, would be: “A joint without going to the joint,” We will toke until we’re broke,” and “The Bong is My Song.” The group needed 6,500 signatures on circulating petitions. The supporter told us: “Hey, if we don’t use all the petitions, we can use the leftovers for rolling doobies.”

The group planning for a November ballot vote may have to ask law enforcement personnel to assist cannabis users in finding the polls and helping them vote. The group also wants the city to provide chocolate and munchies at the voting booths and an ample supply of Murine.

We asked if they weren’t just blowing smoke. An unnamed spokesperson said, “No man. We’re just like, you know, we’re like you know.”

We understand that the campaign has decided on a slogan stealing a page from FDR: “There should be pot in every chicken.”JAMES BOOTH BURR, JR./Grand Rapids

Republican mantra is irritatingMr. Koorndyk sounded just like all the other sore losers that have been miffied at President Obama from day one of his presidency.

What is really irritating is the constant mantra of his party regarding "failed policies of this administration." They overlook the fact that the problems we face today did not occur since Obama took office. They forget that we lost 2 million jobs under Bush and have been digging out of his recession since.

The bailout program was born under Bush, and Obama went along with it for the quick fix that did not happen.

As for gas prices, Obama did not cause the price increases. Look at the speculators and the unrest in the Middle East and stop the blame game.

The food stamp program is an outgrowth of "failed policies" of the previous administration. The financial crisis was caused by runaway financial institutions that were given free rein under Bush.

Obama has tried time and again to work with the Republicans on most all of these things with little or no response from the leaders of the party. They set out from day one of his presidentcy to see that he failed. They still are working toward that goal, and Mr. Koorndyk is just as guilty of perpetuating this mantra as Mitch McConnel or Eric Cantor or any of the other so-called leaders in Congress.

We are recovering, and some good things are happening — much to the chagrin of the Republicans like KoorndykBOB CHARON/Wyoming

Dentists working to solve the dental crisisMembers of the West Michigan District Dental Society are among the local leaders looking to provide better dental care for low-income residents, as outlined in a recent column from the Kent County Health Department.

Dentists are working to help solve the dental crisis, including providing better dental health education for children and parents and creating a local public health dental clinic for uninsured, underinsured and Medicaid patients.

Many local dentists volunteer their services through a West Michigan Dental Foundation-sponsored program to reach disadvantaged people. In addition, we are working through our parent group, the Michigan Dental Association, to ensure that Gov. Rick Snyder’s support for statewide expansion of the Healthy Kids Dental program for Medicaid-eligible children is funded in the coming budget year.

Kent County children deserve access to this crucial program.LARISSA BISHOP/president, West Michigan District Dental Society/Grandville

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